“Walking Dead” Writers Not Fired, Say Producers

Despite rumors to the contrary last week, the writing staff of AMC’s hit The Walking Dead – which finished its first season yesterday – have not been fired, according to both executive producers Gail Anne Hurd and Robert Kirkman. Hurd told Entertainment Weekly that the news was “completely inaccurate,” and went on to explain,

[In] the writers’ room, there are people that have set up other projects that will be their first priority if their own series is picked up as a pilot or if it’s a series. I think [Charles Eglee, the executive in charge of writing for the show] just decided that he wants to run his own show.

Meanwhile, Kirkman – who created the original comic that the show is based on – talked to TVGuide.com, saying

It’s kind of unfortunate that it’s being reported that our writing staff has been fired because that’s not the case. It makes Frank look bad. I don’t think Frank wants it out there that he’s just firing people off of a successful show seemingly for no reason.

He did, however, admit that it’s not a sure thing that the show will have a writers’ staff next year:

It’s a little premature to be nailing down. I don’t know if it’s going to be a freelance situation or if we’re going to have writers in a writers’ room. That’s something that’s being worked on now.